Monument record MDO8722 - Druitt Gardens, Christchurch (site X5); Medieval Town Defences

Excavation at Druitt Gardens (site X5), Christchurch, during 1972-3, revealed evidence for the medieval town defences. A ditch [F9] was only partially excavated but had nearly completely silted up by the end of the 11th century. This was sealed by an undated layer of rubble [F8] which comprised mainly large fragments of ironstone with some heathstone and a little flint and soft red fossiliferous stone. This was associated with a compacted chalky mortar layer [F6 & F7] and both were sealed by a 13th-14th century sandy layer. These layers are probably derived from the medieval town wall demolished and robbed in the 13th century.

R. A. Hills conducted an excavation at Druitt Gardens, Christchurch, during 1971 in advance of the construction of the Wick Lane car park. These excavations were subsequently published as a short note in DNHAS monograph 5 (1). A machine-dug trench approximately 70m long and 1.8m wide revealed evidence for the Medieval town defences. A ditch [F9] was only partially excavated but had nearly completely silted up by the end of the 11th century. This was sealed by an undated layer of rubble [F8] which comprised mainly large fragments of ironstone with some heathstone and a little flint and soft red fossiliferous stone. This was associated with a compacted chalky mortar layer [F6 & F7] and both were sealed by a 13th-14th century sandy layer. These layers are probably derive from the medieval town wall demolished and robbed in the 13th century. The excavation records only survive in the form of a problematical section and it is not clear if there was a bank associated with the ditch or the medieval town wall. One has been postulated however, inside the line of the wall, placing the wall on a wide berm between bank and silted up ditch.

Record last edited

Oct 15 2019 5:17PM